Restaurants, Food Stalls & Riad Dinners

Morocco's gastronomy spans a wide range — from the 5-MAD Harira on the street corner to the 5-course meal on the rooftop terrace of a luxury riad. Here's a guide:

Food Stalls & Simple Eateries (Budget)

The most authentic meals can be found in the small, unassuming eateries in the medinas — recognizable by the plastic chairs, rows of tajines on charcoal braziers, and the absence of menus. This is where the locals eat, and the food is excellent, fresh, and dirt cheap. A complete meal (tajine + bread + tea) costs 30–50 MAD (3–5€). The selection is limited (often only 2–3 dishes), but everything is freshly made. Language skills help: just point to the pot that smells best to you.

Mid-range Restaurants (Middle Class)

In the tourist districts and the Villes Nouvelles, you'll find restaurants with menus (often in French and English), seating, and service. Prices: 60–120 MAD for a main course. Quality varies greatly — restaurants frequented mainly by tourists often cook mediocre food. The best ones can be found by asking locals or checking review sites. Recommendation: restaurants where Moroccan families eat on weekends.

Riad Dining & Fine Cuisine

Many riads offer dinners for house guests and external visitors — often the best option for an upscale Moroccan dinner. A multi-course menu (appetizer platter, pastilla, tajine, dessert, tea) costs 200–400 MAD per person and is served in a magnificent courtyard or on the rooftop terrace. In Marrakech, modern restaurants have also established themselves in recent years, fusing Moroccan cuisine with French techniques — such as Nomad (terrace with medina view, tajine from 90 MAD) or Al Fassia (run by women, legendary couscous Friday tradition). In Fes, Riad Fes is a culinary experience.

Practical Tips

The main meal in Morocco is lunch (12:00–14:00) — many eateries only cook at lunchtime. In the evening, Moroccans eat late (from 20:00). Bread (Khobz) is served free with every meal and is used as cutlery. In simple restaurants, people traditionally eat with the right hand — the left is considered unclean. Tipping: 10% in restaurants, 2–5 MAD in cafés.